Western cyclone. [volume] (Nicodemus, Kan.) 1886-1887, 1887-02-24


than twenty miles per hour there shall
be deducted from the contractor $50,
600 for eve"y quarter knot below TWEEN.
ty knots.
At o'clock the unfinished business
Eds Tehauntepec blll-was taken
up for consideration.
Mr. Van Wyck offered an amendment
that 10 stock shall be issued until fully
paid ftr in money at par value, and nc
bonds issued until the full amount o!
STOCK has been subscribed and SO
per cent of 1T paid for.
Pending action, the bill went over
until Thursday and the senate adjourn
ed.
The House.
FEB. 11.-At 8 :45 the presidents pri-
vate secretary was announced. He pre-
sented a message from the president
transmitting without his approval the
dependent pension bill. The reading
of the message was followed with an at
teniion more strict than is generally &C
corded to such documents. At its con-
clusion, Mr.. Matson, of Indiana, moved
that the bill and accompanying message
be referred to the committee on invalid
pensions, promising that they would be
reported back within the coming week.
The motion was agreed to, 1877 to 81.
The president says that the bill pro
poses bounty-tkirtcen years earlier
than it had been given in any other war
and before large number of the bene-
ficiares were advanced IN age beyond
strength and vigor. It requires no act
ual engagement with an enemy in bat
tie and the pension Is to be granted to
any one who served three months. In
considering the language of the bill it
seems to the president to he so uncertain
and ilable to such conflicting considera-
tiOns as to be subject to mlschevious Ap
plication. He then enters into a consid-
GRAFTON as to how the disability within
the law is to De determined and shows
how difficult it would be to determine
whether an applicant is unable to earn
subsistence. He speaks of difference of
opinion among congressman as to the
meaning of the section prescribing the
disabilities under which q pension can
be secured, and shows that one senator,
the chairman of the committee on pen
sions held that it not only embraced all
soldiers totally disabled, but IN his
Judgment all who are disabled to any
considerable extent. The president Is
of the opinion that it may fairly be con-
tended that under the provisions of this
section, any soldier whose faculties of
mind or body became impaired by
accident, disease or age, irrespective of
his service in the army as cause, and
who, by his labor only, is left incapable
of gaining fair support, he might with
unimpaired powers have provided for
himself and who is not so we'll endowed
with this worlds goods as to live with
out work, may claim to participate in
it's bounty; that 1t is not required that
he should be without property, but only
that labor should be necessary to his
support in some degree, nor is it re-
quired that he should be now receiving
support from others. Believing this to
be proper Interpretation of the bill he
aliudes TO all that has been doue for the
soldiers, the soldiers homes provided for
him aud the preferences given him in
public employ ment and the provisions
made for their old age as "parting ben
efaction rendered by grateful peo-
pc"
Another thing to be considered is the
result liable to follow the passage of the
bill. 1t Is said, but nevertheless true
that already in the matter OF procuring
pensions there exists widespread dis
regard of truth and good faith, stImu!a-
ted by greedy agents, and under tits bill
the race after pensions weuld be increas
ed by claim of pretended incapscity
and thus there would bt put premium
on dishonesty and mendacity. The
number of applicants would be extreme
ly large and the expense beyond present
expectations. He gives computations
and figures in past pension cases to il
lustrate that estimates were always ex-
ceeded. "If those partially unable &c
earn their support" he says, SHOULD bt
admitted to the privileges of this bill
the probable increase Of expense would
be almost appalling" The president
speaks of the BURDENS Of taxation Impos
ed upon the people by the states and
counties on account of the war, as vel
as by the federal g Ivernment, and if this
bill should become law, with its ire
mendous addition to orr previous obi
CATION, am thoroughly convinced tha
fur her efforts to reduce the federal rev
enue and restore some part of 1t to oul
people will and perhaps should be ser
iously questioned. am not willing tC
approve q measure presenting the objec
tons to which this bull is subject, anC
which, moreover, will have the feet o.
Disappointing the expectation Of tn
people and their desire and hope for I
relief from war taxation in 8 time o
peace. But the evil threatened by thi
bill is in my opinion such that Au
charged with a great responsibility. Il